The Supreme Court’s conservative justices appeared ready to dramatically roll back reproductive rights Wednesday as the court heard oral arguments on a challenge to Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban. The case is being closely watched since it could undermine and possibly overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion nationwide. The court’s three liberal justices said reversing Roe — or another landmark reproductive rights ruling known as Planned Parenthood v. Casey — would damage the court’s legitimacy. This is Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor: “The sponsors of this bill, the House bill, in Mississippi, said, ’We’re doing it because we have new justices.’ The newest ban that Mississippi has put in place, the six-week ban, the Senate sponsor said, ’We’re doing it because we have new justices on the Supreme Court.’ Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?”
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, almost half of states have so-called trigger laws already in place that will rapidly make abortion illegal. After headlines, we’ll have the latest on the fight over reproductive rights at the Supreme Court.